Golf club carrier



R. R. RATCLIFF I 2,336,422

GOLF CLUB CARRIER Filed Dec. 14, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Dec. 7, 1943. R. R. RATCLIFF GOLF CLUB CARRIER Filed Dec. 14, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Dec. 7, 19:43

iJi'iED STAT zsiaizz ENT OFFICE GOLF CLUB CARRIER Raymond B. Ratcliff, Columbus, Ohio Application December 14, 1942, Serial No. 468,904

4 Claims. (Cl. 150-135) This invention relates to a golf club carrier or rack of a simple light weight and inexpensive structure, primarily adaptable for the players personal carriage along the playing course, and in which the clubs are segregated either singly or groups, for conveying the general complement of clubs.

An object of the invention is to provide a golf club carrier in which the clubs for carriage are disposed horizontally, and suspended by straps from a long handle bar, extending in parallelism with the clubs. The handle bar provides for a ireot hand carriage, gripped at a point to balance the clubs for carrying, and additionally the bar is equipped with a shoulder strap, adapting the clubs to be brought well up on the side of the human body, making their carriage less burdensome than with the conventional golf bag. The carrier adds but a slight fraction to the weight of the clubs.

The various features of the invention will be more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the improved golf club carrier.

ure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a section of one of the straps.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of a section of one of the straps in an expanded condition for receiva club.

Figure 4 is enlarged section on line i-4, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of carrier construction.

Figure 6 is an end view of a modified form of club sustaining strap for packaging a compound number of clubs.

Figure '7 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings, l indicates ahandle approximately the length of the shafts of e golf cluics and at one end, as the club receivof the carrier, has a strap 2 fixed thereto normally depending therefrom. A second 3, duplicating strap 2 and in parallelism therewith, at one end is fixed to the handle 1* and located thereon slightly beyond the mec portion of the bar from the strap 2. ihe handle bar may also be of a reduced length, with the straps respectively secured to the opposite ends thereof.

The structure of the straps is optional and may he variously formed and of different kinds of materials as leather, leather-like or woven fabrics. The construction of the straps disclosed is merely selective for the purposes of exemplifies,- tion, and this follows as to the means employed for fixing or attaching one end of the straps to the handle bar,

As shown, the straps each constitute a strip of leather or flat flexible strip material, folded upon itself, to provide a pair of corresponding overlying equal length strip sections 5, 5, with the loop or fold end engaged over and fixed to the handle bar II.

In the employment of leather or leatheroid material, the strip is fixed to the bar by thongs E, wound about the outer side of the loop and thence extends through apertures in the strip and about the underside of the bar I, with the free ends of the thongs knotted or tied together. This forms a very secure method for affixing the strap to the bar without the use of metallic fasteners, although metallic fasteners or other means may be employed, as a matter of embellishment or design according to the class of the strip material employed.

The straps 2 and 3 extend laterally from the base in a carriage position to sustain the clubs horizontally and parallel with the bar, in which position their carriage is more convenient, for with the aid of a shoulder strap 6, they can be brought up high upon the body. The straps with the clubs can be wrapped about the bar to poms pact the same for carriage.

The straps, preferably, duplicate one another, so that a detail description will be confined to the singular. The strip sections 5, 5, at an appropriate distance or measurement from the handle bar, are secured together at determined spacings, and for the leather type shown, by thongs i, threaded through apertures in the strip sections with the ends thereof knotted together or otherwise joined, subdividing the strap into a plurality of adjoining sockets 9, each to receive one or more clubs therethrough to sustain the same. One of the strip sections, intervening the fastenings for forming the sockets, has a notch It for each socket, cut inwardly from the forward edges of the strap, normally covered by the second strip section for one side, to facilitate expanding the socket with the end of a club in the act of inserting the club through the socket. Various other means, than by the use of thongs, may be employed to secure the strip section together to form the sockets.

With the straps in a depending position and holding the bar in a horizontal position with one hand, the clubs can be readily inserted or removed by the other hand to and from their supported position within the pair of straps. The clubs in their packed or supported position within the carrier are inserted so that the heads of the clubs bear against the outer edge of the forward strap 2, allowing for a perfect balance in the carriage of the clubs, either by the handle bar or shoulder strap 4 fixed to the handle bar.

The structure of the carrier is of exceedingly inexpensive manufacture, particularly of the prevailing types of golf bags, and can be confined to a weight of approximately one-half pound. The straps are approximately two inches in width, which is a convenient width and assists in keeping the clubs from sliding lengthwise in the socket. The sockets are of a dimension to accommodate for two or three clubs so that the average complement of clubs can be carried in a limited number of sockets.

To protect the handle end of the clubs from rain or moisture, they are covered with a hood I l, formed of a sheet of waterproofed material, adapted to be slipped over the free end of the handle bar and about the handle end of the clubs. This, however, is merely an accessory for protection during inclement weather or when the ground of the fairway is moist.

In Figure 5, illustrating a modification, a rack l2 as a single unit substitutes the pair of straps, and constitutes a sheet of material folded upon itself to provide a pair of corresponding overlying wings or section with the fold end engaged over and fixed to the handle bar I. An intermediate portion l3 of the fold end is cut out to accessibly expose the handle bar.

The wings at uniform spacings are stitched,

as by lines of stitches I 4, or otherwise secured together crosswise of the Width of the wings forming a plurality of elongated sockets, each, as in the strap structure, to receive and sustain one or more clubs, with one of the wings for each socket notched at its forward end for convenience in expanding the socket for club insertion.

The handle may also be equipped with a pocket for holding golf balls and other accessories.

Referring to the modification shown in Figures 6 and 7, the structure of the strap provides for packaging a compound number of clubs having a series of sockets at relative opposite sides.

The strap, similar to the single form, is preferably made of a fabric material, and comprises a central strip or rib l having a pair of outer strips l6, 11, respectively relatively fixed to the opposite sides thereof. 11 are shown as of equal width of the central strip, and with their lower ends coinciding with and fixed to the lower end of the central strip. The upper ends of the side strips extend beyond the upper end of the central strip, and have their free ends secured together for forming a loop I8 for engagement over a handle bar, and to which it is fixed,

The means for fixing the strap to the handle bar is optional, and the method illustrated is by The side strips l6 and r means of staples l9 clipped into the upper side of the bar, and thongs 20 looped about the lower side of the bar and extended through apertures in the loop of the strap, bringing their free ends outward over the upper side of the bar for tying them together.

The intermediate portion of each of the side strips is slackened and secured to the central strip at correspondingly spaced intervals by stitching 2|, forming with the central strip a series of club receiving sockets 22. It is obvious that the side strips may be formed of a single strip length folded to form the top loop, and a pair of limbs at opposite sides of the central strip. The central strip may also be included as an integral part of a single strip of material. The side strips or sections for each socket are notched inwardly from one edge to facilitate the club insertion.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A golf club carrier, comprising: a handle bar, a rack of pliable material fixed to and extending laterally from the handle bar and composed of laminae having one end fixed to the bar and secured together at spaced intervals forming a plurality of adjoining sockets, each for receiving and sustaining a golf club in parallelism with the handle bar, the forward edge of one end of the lamina having notches therein, one for each socket, to facilitate club entry into the socket.

2. A golf club carrier, comprising: a handle bar of approximately golf club length, a rack of flexible fabric material fixed to and extending laterally from the bar composed of laminae having one end fixed to the bar and secured to-- gether at spaced intervals forming adjacent club receiving sockets parallel with the handle bar, and short of the full length of the club, to receive and sustain the club with its opposite ends projecting therebeyond, the forward edge of one end of the lamina having notches therein, one for each socket, to facilitate club entry into the socket.

3. A golf club carrier, comprising: a handle bar, a rack of flexible fabric material folded over and fixed to a portion of the handle bar extending laterally therefrom, with the extending sections secured together at intervals to provide a plurality of individual club receiving sockets parallel with the handle bar, and one of the walls of each socket at the inlet end notched to facilitate club insertion.

4. A golf club carrier, comprising: a handle bar, and a rack composed of straps of flexible material fixed to the handle bar and extending laterally therefrom, having double loop sections secured together at intervals to provide a plu rality of individual club receiving sockets, the sections for each socket having a notch cut inwardly from the forward edge of the material to facilitate expanding the socket with the end of the club in the act of inserting the club through the socket.

RAYMOND R. RATCLIFF. 

